Synthesis and characterization of enzymatically active micrometer protein-capsules.

This work describes a general method for the encapsulation of enzymes with albumin as wall material and the enzyme catalase as prime example. Care was taken for the preparation of biochemically active sub-micrometer particles in order to prevent oxygen toxicity induced by artificial oxygen carriers of any type. In cell culture experiments, capsules containing catalase did not exhibit any harmful activities in the absence of peroxides.

Synthesis and characterisation of aqueous haemoglobin-based microcapsules coated by genipin-cross-linked albumin.

Bovine serum albumin (BSA)-coated haemoglobin (Hb)-microcapsules prepared by co-precipitation of Hb and MnCO may present an alternative type of artificial blood substitute. Prepared microcapsules were analysed by Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Respirometry, cytotoxicity was evaluated by addition of microcapsules to murine fibroblast-derived cell line L929 (American Type Culture Collection, NCTC clone 929 of strain L). The capsules come along with a mean diameter of approximately 0.